Real Weddings, Advice, & Inspiration

Catalyst Wedding Company highlights weddings by and for game-changers. We seek to amplify and empower voices and viewpoints that are usually missing from the Wedding Industrial Complex. We're a community of badass wedding professionals who love all things funky, fresh, diverse, unique, and personality-driven; we convene twice yearly for (un)convention, a collaborative workshop, styled shoot, and dinner party. We're also the publishers of Catalyst Wedding Mag, a resource for couples looking for inspiration and affirmation that doing things differently in wedding-world is not only ok, it's wonderful!

It's not very often that a new venue pops up in Brooklyn. The American Can Factory in Brooklyn is just that. It's a work-space turned exposed-brick-dream-wedding-venue on the weekends. We snagged it to feature this gorgeous real life couple, Alexia and Charm.

Charm, a Texan, is a new NYC transplant, and Alexia is a born and bred New Yorker. They're planning to get married in the near future, and they thought, why not try it out before the real thing? We happily obliged by planning them a day that reflected them, their love, and NYC vendors who celebrate LGBTQ love stories.

We kept them in focus with beautiful make-up with pops of color by Sharon Becker, gorgeous femme bridal gowns by Ash & Light, and pink balloons because why not? They enjoyed sprinkled cake by renowned Brooklyn bakers at Butter & Scotch, natural florals by Brooklyn's Hawk & Hare, gorgeous invitations by My Darlin', and then they rode off into the sunset on a Brooklyn Bicycle Co. bike. Not only that, they wore Brooklyn-based Hush Commotion accessories, dined with a BK favorite, Runner & Stone catering, and enjoyed New York's Jessie's Nutty Cups for a fun twist on favors. What started as a way to celebrate one love story become an even greater love story: the one between vendors and a city, celebrating it and the beautifully diverse love stories that thrive here — usually with an exposed brick background.

Words by planner Amy Shackelford of Modern Rebel and photos by Amber Marlow

lesbian bride in pink chair from gather & lounge

smiling bride with makeup by Sharon Becker in Brooklyn

smiling bride with a bright pink statement lip

bride holding a late summer bouquet by Hawk & Hare

Bride holding white and green bouquet by Hawk & Hare

secular officiant in NYC Marley Jay performing same-sex ceremony

same-sex wedding at the Old American Can Factory

Pink wedding cake with sprinkles by Butter & Scotch

secular wedding officiant in NYC Marley Jay

My Darlin' black and white invitation suite

pink wedding ideas with florals and furniture

wedding lounge furniture from gather and lounge

ethical man-made diamond rings by Vrai & Oro

Jessie's Nutty Cups candy wedding favors

table decor by Modern Rebel & Co. featuring copper, blue, and kumquats

table decor, coordinated by Modern Rebel & Co.

The Old American Can Factory wedding venue in Brooklyn

VENDORS

MODERN REBEL & CO.

Event Planner/Coordinator Amy Shackelford is the Founder & Lead Planner at Modern Rebel & Co., an alternative event planning company that gives back to local NYC non-profits. In 2015, she started Modern Rebel with the belief that it was possible to "keep the pretty in perspective." She currently lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn with her partner, John.

New York City modern wedding photographer

AMBER MARLOW

Amber Marlow is a modern-meets-classic wedding photographer in New York City. In addition to thrilling over 100 couples with her photography, she has been featured in multiple publications, spoken at conferences about the intersection of "wokeness" and the wedding industry, hosts a monthly networking event for wedding vendors in NYC, and is the founder of Pineapple North, a business blog for women and minorities. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and rescue dog.